Blackness on a Spectrum
As a member of the Black community I am proud to say that we come in many different shapes, colors, and sizes. We have melanin, we have curves, and we are very much diversified within ourselves. In this new era of millennial Negros we have began to embrace our differences within the black community. Although, since the beginning of time we have been taught that differences are flaws. With this message constantly thrown our way subliminally it is hard to ignore. The preeminent difference that stifles the growth of the Black community is color. We are all a people that have been oppressed due to the color of our skin yet we put each other on a defying spectrum of Blackness.
Being a Black woman with lighter skin it is difficult to step back and speak from any perspective other than my own. It would be completely wrong for me to say that a woman or man with dark skin than me does not face harsher challenges than myself and other lighter-toned men and women of color. I do however believe that it is a common misconception among the Black community that because you have lighter skin your life is all rainbows and sunshine. Being a light-skinned women is difficult you are not readily accepted by the white community nor the Black community. You are expected to be active in the Black community all the while being put down for not dealing with the same racism and oppression that your darker Black counterparts may face on a daily basis. As a light-skinned man you are seen as soft and feminine. Light-skinned males apparently did not inherit the traits of being a strong Black man and this is according to the Black community itself. We ourselves have come to associate being light with better traits and opportunities. I can attest to the fact that me being lighter does not stop store clerks from believing that I can not afford to be in their store or someone automatically pointing blame at me without knowing all of the facts.
Being dark-skinned is definitely not a walk in the park. As a dark-skinned you often do not see any representation of yourself in the media nor in reality. When this representation does come about it is negative representation. Once again with the subliminal messages being put into the minds of Americans, in the mind of the Black community. As DJ Envy stated on the Breakfast Club interview with Dr. Umar Johnson even when he is walking down the street and sees a dark man he becomes more alert of his surroundings. Dark-skinned members of the Black community as with light-skinned members are blind to the oppression that the variety of shades in the community face on a daily basis.
Light-skinned vs. dark-skinned is an old age battle that the Black community has been facing since the beginning of time. We focus so much on the shades at the end of the spectrum that we forget about the ones in the middle. Being light-skinned during the times of slavery meant that you were allowed to work in the house of your master while your darker cohorts were in the fields picking cotton. The way I see it I would rather not be a slave of any kind. In modern time being light-skinned means getting a pass when pulled over by a police officer versus being dark-skinned and found guilty before truly convicted. The real problem lies within the heart of the Black community. If we continue to hold resentment and hate in our hearts for our brothers and sisters because their skin tone may differ from ours a little we will never be able to break away from the spectrum that we have been placed on by whites and that we continue to uphold. Change will begin with us so that is where we should start.
